Lowell, MA : Pelham man in Lowell head-on crash arraigned on OUI charges on Monday, 19th March 2018
A New Hampshire man accused of driving drunk when causing a head-on collision while going the wrong way on the VFW Highway early Sunday morning was released on his own recognizance during his arraignment in Lowell District Court on Monday.
Brad Paquin, 34, of Pelham, is charged with operation under the influence causing serious injury, following the 3 a.m. wreck that caused a 52-year-old Lowell woman to suffer a broken pelvis, severe lower-abdomen trauma and multiple broken ribs.
Paquin had been driving the wrong way inbound on the VFW Highway coming down University Avenue before striking the woman's vehicle.
According to court documents, the victim's vehicle also held a passenger who police identified as a 27-year-old Brockton man. Police stated the Brockton resident became pinned in the vehicle from the impact, but his injuries were unknown at the time, according to court documents.
Several hours after the crash, Lowell police Capt. James Hodgdon described both victims as suffering serious injuries. They were transported by ambulance to Lowell General Hospital. Their condition as of Monday night was unknown.
A 28-year-old Lowell man -- a nearby driver who called 911 after witnessing the wreck -- told police he saw the vehicle traveling the wrong way at a high rate of speed, according to court documents.
In an attempt to prevent disaster, the 28-year-old said he tried to catch up to the driver along the outbound lane.
Unable to intervene, the Lowell man told police he then watched as the two cars collided.
Police arrived on scene shortly after where they witnessed the two wrecked vehicles on the inbound side of the VFW Highway jammed between multiple construction barriers, court documents state.
A 35-year-old Dracut man, a passenger in Paquin's vehicle, had multiple lacerations to his face and eyes and was transported to an area hospital, court documents stated.
According to the police report in the court documents, "Paquin stated that he felt fine and that he had no injuries that he was aware of." He also told police at the scene he had no medical conditions but was missing the lens out of his eyeglasses.
Police stated Paquin had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, slurred speech, glassy eyes and difficulty standing upright, which was highlighted by multiple field sobriety tests, including the one-leg stand and walk-and-turn tests.
The police officer who carried out the field sobriety tests stated in court documents that he stopped testing Paquin due to his "inability to stand upright properly and due to the possibility that he may fall and hurt himself." Paquin was then placed under arrest.
The Pelham resident was taken to the Lowell Police Department where he refused to take a breath test, according to court documents.
As part of his pretrial release on Monday, Paquin cannot consume alcohol and is subject to random alcohol screening.
According to court documents, the OUI charge carries with it up to two and a half years behind bars, a minimum $3,000 fine, and a two-year license revocation.
Paquin is slated to appear for a pre-trial hearing in Lowell District Court at 9 a.m. May 23.
Source :
Pelham man in Lowell head-on crash arraigned on OUI charges
Source :
Pelham man in Lowell head-on crash arraigned on OUI charges